Trance2MoveU

Artist: Praktika Title: Playing the Presets Label: Trance Bum Records Date: November, 2016 01 - Kierron Rajoilla (139 BPM) 02 - Hairahdus (140 BPM) 03 - Rahat Pois! (128 BPM) 04 - Donkey Kong (100 BPM) 05 - RooTest (146 BPM) 06 - Tuskien Taival (142 BPM) 07 - Fail Safe (139 BPM) 08 - Sea Of Mud (Mutameri Reggae) (100 BPM) "Here's to better living through chemistry!" Sometimes I go on a tear and just listen to music I've downloaded from Ektoplazm. There's a lot of what the f*ck moments to be found if we're being honest. It's how I feel about Suomi music in general, but the creativity is off the charts. This album was apparently lost and was originally supposed to be released in 1999 by Exogenic Records. I would describe this as psytrance mixed with Suomi and dusted with goa trance influences. It certainly sounds like it came from 99 when hardware ruled. The funky beat and piano riffs in Donkey Kong are enjoyable and I really liked the "late goa after the glory years" Tuskien Taival, along with the real drum sounds of Sea of Mud. Unfortunately the rest of the album didn't hold my attention with it's kooky sounds and sometimes uninteresting sounds. This type of sound has a very loyal following so even if I didn't care for most of it I can certainly respect it. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Moonbird Title: The Indescribable Label: Self-Released Date: August, 2013 01 - Gates Of Haraom (75 BPM) 02 - (An)other Dimension (145 BPM) 03 - Punishment System (148 BPM) 04 - Jazz With Wartuba (145 BPM) 05 - The Small Sorcerer (136 BPM) 06 - How To Style The Drive (138 BPM) 07 - Sound Gamma Radiation (154 BPM) 08 - Violet Noise For 7 Days (140 BPM) 09 - Circle Of Stones (152 BPM) 10 - We Are Light (Full Mix) (148 BPM) I sincerely hope that the psychedelic community is visiting Ektoplazm on a regular basis. It has been an invaluable resource for great music that would otherwise have been relegated to the unheard bits and bytes of the internet. They truly have something for everyone regardless of taste. Vytautas Paukstelis is from Lithuania and at this time this is his only release. Is it darkpsy? Forest? Psy or progressive? A little bit of all actually. The details (effects that amplify the atmosphere and where I think his strength lay) stand out on the downtempo intro and dark tracks like (An)other Dimension thrusting the listener right into the ancient forest. Jazz With Wartuba is creepy with liquid hallucinations and the dark vibe is palpable. I love the break in How To Style the Drive...involving. Sound Gamma Radiation is part darkpsy, part...Suomi? I dunno, but I enjoyed it. If I had a criticism it would be that some of the details and atmosphere get lost in the overwhelming beat and bass. It's accessible for the casual listener (even if it's a bit all over the place) and while far from my favorite album I was glad I gave it a listen. Some good ideas in here. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Ovnimoon Title: Different Lifeforms Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: August, 2018 1. Astral Dimension feat. E-mantra 2. Alquimistas 3. Alien Medicine 4. The Vision feat. Esterim Patchul 5. Different Lifeforms feat. Etnica 6. Back To This Land feat. Ephedra & Esterim Patchul 7. Retro Sensor feat. Esterim Patchul & Sirium 8. Secret World of the Truth feat. Rigel "Why are you doing this to me?" "To show you just how much you don't know. Open your eyes." Another Ovnimoon album? When does he sleep? Or eat? Or put some dog poo in a bag and light it on fire in front of the door of the neighbor who smells like mothballs who yelled at you last week for listening to that hippie Beatles music. So....with his latest Hector decided to bring in the big guns. E-mantra. Etnica. Ephedra. Esterim F*cking Patchul. Or Patchouli. Who knows? Yeah. He's got it like that. I don't know if that's how he spells his name because Psyshop spelled it two different ways. Anyone else notice all those guest names begin with "E"? Weird. Anyway Hector been on quite the roll lately. His last several albums have been super hot not to mention he's running his label which seems to have a release every other day and twice on Sunday. Who would've thought that goa trance would come back in such a way that all the cool kids are doing it? Well it has and he slaps you in the face with a bit of a scorcher. Now I could've just listened to this all the way through, but you're not the boss of me. So I jumped all over the place. As an enthusiastic student of the genre I went right to the track that has Etnica (Different Lifeforms) on it. Actual footage of some rando on the street when I played him that track. Couldn't help himself, burst into flames. He's ok though. He's a trooper. So then I went to the one with legendary master E-mantra (Astral Dimension). It was good (how could it not be), but to be honest I expected a little more wickedness from these two mainstays. Kinda tame. Clearly the next track had to be the one with Ephedra (Back To This Land). That joint was shimmery and powerful. Kinda like coating a unicorn in glitter and shoving it through a wood chipper. Sorry kid...that was the last one. Sad face. The sample was a beat preachy, but it worked. Up next was the track with Rigel (Secret World of the Truth) for no apparent reason whatsoever. It's a stormer with nimble melodies stacked in layers. Nice. He's no slouch on his own of course with Alquimistas singing the praises of music's power and Alien Medicine just blowing the doors off the spacecraft. I know, I know this is all well and good. But you want to know how the tracks with Esterim Patchuli were. I can't tell you how much he was involved because Hector forgot to invite me to the studio, but I found Retro Sensor to be more engaging than The Vision but they were both quite good. Perhaps that's due to another collaborator named Sirian. Dude what are you doing on this track? Your name doesn't begin with "E". Bottom line, it's an album of pure goa trance with long tracks full of melody and power. Congrats! Ovnimoon Records Bandcamp Psyshop

I enjoyed his Even the tracks you highlighted as the best tracks are weighed down by seemingly unnecessary clutter. Hard pass. I suppose we'll always have Sunshine Reborn!

Artist: Koan Title: Serenity Side A Label: Blue Tunes Chillout Date: March, 2017 1. Before Fullmoon (Serenity Mix) 2. Ferryman (Serenity Mix) 3. Arousal (Serenity Mix) 4. Appearance (Serenity Mix) 5. Herald (Serenity Mix) 6. Gradual Fall (Serenity Mix) 7. The Catch (Serenity Mix) 8. Overpersuasion 9. Peak Lady (Serenity Mix) 10. Bait 11. Helpless 12. Veiled (Serenity Mix) 13. In the Maze of Diamond Rocks (Serenity Mix) 14. The Light of Sleeping Star (Serenity Mix) 15. Hidden Princess (Serenity Mix) "I have something for you." Is it weed? Please tell me it's weed? I could really use some weed right now. Yes indeed just gather your girlfriends, spark an owl, and just chill to the uber laid back sounds of the Russian duo Koan. With this digital release you can just feel the stress of the day evaporate. This is my definition of chill. Slow, relaxed beats with atmospheric pads interspersed with electronic flutterings. As the title implies, it's all very serene with chopped pads and layered percussion. The mellowness cannot be overstated and you just might have to scrape yourself off the ceiling. Blue Tunes Chillout Bandcamp

Artist: Koan Title: Leap of Faith Label: Blue Tunes Recordings Date: March, 2018 1. My Personal Dark Knight 2. Reflection 3. Margin Call 4. Manifesto 5. Mayda 6. Gabriel's Trump Card 7. Jinn's Keeper 8. The Die is Cast 9. Vendetta 10. Entangled Threads (Roeth and Grey Version) 11. Syndicate (Roeth and Grey Version) 12. Esbat (Witch Arrow Mix) 13. At the Sunset of Red Moon (Witch Arrow Mix) 14. Mayferien Nights (New Orlean Mix) 15. Abendreiterin "There's no use praying my friend. Even your God knows better than to come here." This Russian duo is nothing if not prolific. Like the vast majority of their output this is a digital release sounding like a solid piece of progressive trance firmly entrenched in the Blue Tunes vein. Dreamy, uplifting, and bouncy trance that more than flirts with a techno vibe. It's a pretty varied cross section of the progressive genre, sometimes sounding cold and clinical. On the other hand it can also be warm and precise with tracks like the Witch and Arrow mix of Esbat and the New Orlean mix of Mayferien Nights bringing a smile to my face the whole way through. Far from perfect it is still quite enjoyable and shows that this duo isn't afraid to move in different directions. Psyshop Download

3rd album from Alexandre Cohen is quite good. The kicks are punchy, he impressively twists 303 leads to his will, and the whole sound was nicely layered. I don't think he's trying to tell a story here. I believe he wants us to get off our a** and ask that cute girl to dance. True dance music and I suppose you can't ask for much more than that.

Artist: E-mantra Title: Stapanii Timpului Label: Suntrip Records Date: August, 2018 1. Rusalka 2. Ghosts in the Mist 3. Ravenmocker 4. At the Foothills of Kogaion 5. Typhon's Wrath 6. Rise of the Dacians 7. Terp Muronivid Aivlsa 8. Amorok Rising From the Black Sea feat. Xoa The prodigal son returns or, just when I thought I was out they pull me back in. Emmanuel Carpus is back with his *checks Discogs* Holy sh*t his 11th album (4th uptempo) as E-mantra?!? And look at that dazzling cover! The Romanian master stays in his comfort zone with his instantly recognizable sound, content to lob acid grenades under the cover of acrid swirling smoke and hallucinogenic fog. Where fire brings light his acid lines sear darkness across the landscape coming in relentless waves. Track names seem meaningless as the music flows from one apocalyptic atmosphere to the next. Ghosts in the Mist screeches through layers of the abyss; each lead growling to take the place of the previous one. Devastating. Ravenmocker, the most feared of Cherokee witches, robs the sick and dying of their heart. Unsettling. This one brings the heat and a sense of dread with a deliciously chaotic climax. That lead at @1'45" of At the foothills of Kogaion...ah you sneaky f*cker! Undulating waves and driving rhythms. Typhon's Wrath starts with Darth Vader exhalations and evil intent lurking just beneath the surface. This track sounds angry. But in the sense of watching your secret weapon utterly destroy your opponent. This is a scorched Earth track. The intro of Rise of the Dacians brings to mind a vast army preparing to do battle with advancing hordes of netherworldly creatures. While not as bombastic as the previous track the leads meld into each other while the 303 churns forward. The track I have zero chance of pronouncing was a straight forward goa track that didn't have any surprises. Good, but not compared to the previous ones. And to be honest I didn't care for the closing downtempo track. He went out with a whimper when 6 or 7 downtempo albums prove he can do better. Like someone said, it ain't perfect, but it's still damn good and re solidifies him as one of the premier names in goa trance. Congratulations and welcome back. Suntrip Bandcamp Psyshop

Old school Goa Trance: Etnica- Alien Protein Pleiadians- IFO Dimension5- Transdimensional Cosmosis- Cosmology Astral Projection- Trust In Trance UX- Ultimate Experience Colorbox- Train to Chroma City Bypass Unit- Dropz of Obscure Eclipses Cydonia- In Fear of A Red Planet Psygone- Organique Miranda- Phenomena, Transwave- Helium Shakta- Retroscape Moonweed- Voice of Jupiter Nervasystem- Time Travel Those last five could be substituted and I wouldn't be upset. New School Goa Trance: Khetzal- Corolle M-Run- Some Run Just For Fun Portamento- The Portal Merr0w- Born Underwater Mindsphere- Patience For Heaven Artifact303- Back To Space Ra-9th Morphic Resonance- Perplexity Ovnimoon- Holistic Psy-H- Distant Worlds Fliteria- All of it E-Mantra- Ditto Psytrance Absolum- Inside the Sphere Speedball- Human Disorder Shift- Excession These first three do not count because they are a part of my DNA. Braincell- Transformation of Reality Concept- The Vicious Cycle Deliriant- Chemistry Kiriyama- Reach Escape Velocity Logic Bomb- The Grid Master Blasters- Life Changing Experiences Ovnimoon- Trancemutation of the Mind Phatmatix- The Divine Comedy Protoculture- Love Technology Moai- Full Moon Psilocybian- Godhead Rubix Qube- Ulterior Motives Shift- Alternator The last 5 are honorable mentions that I would definitely try to smuggle onto the plane when the stewardess wasn't looking.

Artist: Ufomatka Title: Off The Beaten Track Of The Universe Label: Cronomi Records Date: June 29, 2018 1. Transition To Hyperspace 2. The City Of Acid Trips 3. Sliders 4. Space Chronicles 5. USS Enterprise 6. Nebula 7. Drifting Across The Universe 8. Voyager-1 (Leaving The Solar System) With a thunderous explosion, Arby's has fired the first shot with it's new fast food/porn promotion. With other labels releasing goa trance at a seemingly frenzied pace it's easy to forget about Cronomi. An average of a release a year is not going to allow the label bigwigs to quit their job at Arby's at any time soon. That chocolate penis ain't gonna make itself, am I right guys? And while their brand of goa trance is not usually my favorite (except for M-Run, Portamento, and Erta Ale...those are some of the best goa trance ever! Wanna fight about it?) they are certainly not afraid to step out of the safe goa comfort zone. UFOmatka is Ukrainian Alexandr Yemelyanov who has released several tracks of face melting goa trance that had the masses clamoring for an album release. And fresh of the night shift Cronomi delivers with his debut album. And a couple of sammiches and a pack of curly fries. A few notes... The opener is a dull dirge that falls flat. There I said it. With his track record this was surprising and disappointing. He makes up for it with The City of Acid Trips and it's liquid fire. Sliders isn't bad and has a nice climax, but doesn't offer a lot of variety. Same with Space Chronicles. Liked it and thought it was decent, but we can get that anywhere. I liked the Enterprise song the best and thought the closing Voyager was average downtempo goa. Sure there are tracks that hit harder, but he seems to develop his psychedelic goa rather than hand it to you on a silver platter. Sometimes that hits and sometimes it misses. Sometimes he gets lost in the weeds and sometimes it evolves into a very good experience. He certainly didn't make a straight forward goa album and several tracks seemed to waste valuable minutes getting to where they were going. In the end it's not a very exciting album and at this point in his career though I would say that his compilation tracks are better than his debut.

Yeah this is definitely one of the most anticipated releases for me. So how bout it Ivan...what's the word?

The End of the Last Katun is a level of annoying that must be what living with Cardi B is like. Just walking around wanting to punch yourself. But to bring balance back to the universe is the cosmic Harmonic Convergence with it's giddy motion and swirling leads. Pleasant surprise? The Gurning Point by Psychlopedia (duo with Miranda).

Some really solid classics here. That second disc...whew! Second Room, Slick Witch, Overload, Soothsayer (Lysergic Mix), and Pile. All in a row. Blistering. This version of Second Room does sound a bit too fast, but still enjoyable.

Anyone else think it's time for a Clementz album? Proxeeus and Atlantis also slay.

Artist: Human Blue Title: Base Basket Buffet Label: Transient Records Date: February, 2009 1. Lone Ranger 2. Imperial Mind 3. Dessert Desert 4. Dragonflingz 5. Hide and Seek 6. Party Deluxe 7. Pacific Run 8. Gravity Affair Progressive trance from Sweden? Sign me up. The churning beats, the deep bass sounds that growl from the ether, and lush pads make this one a keeper. The opening track is a lesson on how to open an album combining power and layers to blur the line between psytrance and progressive. That trend continues throughout the album with long tracks which I believe mostly hold up well some ten years on. Psyshop

Artist: Geko Title: Poison Flowers Label: Digital Psionics Date: June, 2009 1. To the Face 2. Like This 3. Heads Up 4. F*cking B*tch 5. Iron Fist 6. Squeeze It 7. Suck My Ectoplasmic 8. World On Fire (Battlegoats) 9. Poison Flowers "I don't want to set the world on fire..." Well good news...you didn't. For me it's kind of hard to get excited about full-on projects even though my mind is always open. There's good stuff out there if you know where to look (be prepared to wade through a waist deep morass of crap though) and recently I've had a couple fall into my lap. This is an Israeli artist whose brand of full-on is acidic and punchy and he's a had a few good tracks on some compilations. With his debut (and only) album he beats you over the head with its aggressive nature loaded with harsh sounds and dark, futuristic themes. It's not the best I've heard and there are some cringeworthy buildups that will test your fast forwarding finger. What I've found is that there are some really thumping beats and fat basses that seem as though they will set the world on fire. Yet... Sometimes he takes that momentum and slams it into the wall with the aforementioned buildups. Let me just say that I love the last track. Supremely powerful with it's Chemical Brothers brutish swagger that will keep your head nodding. That is how you put an exclamation point at the end of a decent yet unspectacular album. Psyshop

Artist: Chromatone Title: Wasabi Label: Nano Records Date: May, 2018 1. Chroma Corona 2. Closing In Fast 3. World In Flames 4. 88MPH (Rmx) 5. Psypress Pill (Wasabi Remix) 6. Alpha Drops 7. Attack of Killer Track 8. Wasabeast 9. B Ware of Square 10. Dub Divider "If my calculations are correct when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious sh*t!" I have so much forgotten music on my computer that this is what it feels like when trying to get through it all. But this was a pleasant surprise. I love finding older albums that hold up well and this offering from Lawrence Ezra Hoffman (USA!) does just that. It is full-on all the way, but with that rich, full Nano sound. So many textures to pull your focus in every direction with great breaks. No linear psytrance here as the music bounces from phrase to phrase alternating between liquid and sharp sounds with Psypress Pill being my favorite. If you're a fan of Nano or the artist and like that lush full-on then don't hesitate to pick this one up. Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Solar Fields Title: Ourdom Label: Sidereal Records Date: March, 2018 1. Burning View 2. Shifting Nature 3. Into The Sun 4. Forgiveness 5. Mountain King 6. Wave Cascade 7. Moving Lines 8. A Long Tailed Bird Whispered 9. Joshua's Shop 10. A Green Walk 11. Parallel Universe 12. The Daylight Carrier 13. Siren Song of Glass Some artists are so deeply connected with a genre that they essential become the face (sound?) of that genre. There are many artist who make downtempo music, but say the name Solar Fields and you understand what you're going to get. Magnus Birgersson from Sweden has been doing this for quite some time and his albums are markers in the chronological history of downtempo music. Any artist would be happy with a genre defining album to their credit yet each new offering from Magnus seems to be that way. His latest however doesn't leave me with the same awe that his previous albums had. That said, I find myself being carried away with his descriptive soundpicture layered with many details ranging from the gentle flutter of electronics to the powerful and majestic. The listing says there are 13 tracks, but I only hear one, deeply immersed in a flowing menagerie that consciously moves from uplifting to a introspective mindstate. Into the Sun is a distinctly positive and hopeful march into the many wonders this world possesses as Forgiveness almost impossibly slowly illustrates the freeing power of letting go. As the tracks seamlessly meld into each other Mountain King is a lengthy almost 15 minute wonder that doesn't establish its identity until well past the 5 minute mark. A progressive rambler that takes flight gently and creates a floating atmosphere bookended by a delicate ambient intro and outro. Due to the length of it Wave Cascade feels like and ambient interlude before another more aggressive and less appealing Moving Lines kicks in. Joshua's Shop gets back to the positivity of previous tracks, while Parallel Universe could be the darkest track on the album. The Daylight Carrier is more aligned with the early tracks of the album and he closes with the beatless ambient of Siren Song. Mastered by Robert Elster the music sounds fantastic further adding to the experience. As I've mentioned with previous Solar Fields albums I feel his strength is the downtempo arena and less when he employs the progressive stomping. His music just seems to breathe and stretch more with a slower bpm. This album could've easily been a disjointed collection of tracks in the hands of a less skilled electronic musician, but he manages to keep things connected by building bridges between tracks instead of walls. So I would say it's a great journey with a few minor flaws. Solar Fields Bandcamp Sidereal (digipak)

Artist: Merr0w Title: Out of Control EP Label: Self Released Date: June, 2018 1. Dancing Galaxy Remix 2. Mermaid's Twin Sister Remix 3. Neural Network 4. Out of Control 5. Amazing Bubble (Hardware Edit) This guy is like an on his meds Filipe Santos when it comes to productivity. His last self released album Hybridization was a good bit of acidic goa and that is also what you'll find here. Of note the intense and relentless Mermaid's Twin Sister Remix and Neural Network. The final track is a a cat o' nine tails whipping of nimble leads and bombast. Solid ep with the only flaw being the, ahem...questionable cover art. Merr0w Bandcamp

Artist: Various Title: Forever Psychedelic II Label: Matsuri Digital Date: March 2018 1. Endora - Joy (Oforia vs Tsuyoshi Suzuki vs D.E.D.E. Remix) 2. Tsuyoshi Suzuki & Jikooha - The Land of 505 3. MTL (Funky Gong & Ubar Tmar) - Megathrust 4. DJ James Monro - Vantage Point 5. Kurosaki Tamao (K.U.R.O. & Ubar Tmar) - Future OM 6. D.E.D.E. - Future Drugs 7. Oforia - What Did That Make You Feel "We are the future!" With the absolute f*ckton of releases that seem to come out every week you could spend a good portion of your work week digging for more gold than this guy. That's why it's such a satisfying feeling when you do finally come across one after being burnt I don't know how many times. Forever Psychedelic is a fairly weak compilation in my opinion released back in 98 by Matsuri Productions yet it has its following. So here comes the digital spirit of the label with part 2. Sequels generally suck, but this is one of the exceptions. A few notes... -While I believe the original Joy by Endora is classic goa trance and superior to this remix, this is what remixes are about. Make it your own with a hint of what made it great to begin with. -With Land of the 505 there's some uncontrolled wielding of 303 madness here and this went from a good track to a great one with the last blistering 2 minutes. -In the "they can't all be winners" department Megathrust. I wanted to shove this right back up that guy's smell hole until the last two minutes. - James Monro (of Technossomy fame) lays out a very eerie progressive trance track brimming with atmosphere supplemented with a little more gravitas at the end. Good stuff. -Future OM is a sneaky, evolving bit of electricity heavily laden with futuristic dread. One of the standouts with the acidic car wash putting an exclamation point on it at the end. -Planet Drugs and How Did That Make You Feel were fine, but ultimately didn't move the needle for me. This was indeed a good find and hope that more people will think so as well. Beatport

Now this is the Neogoa I love. Liquid layers, floating melodies, and a keen ear for atmosphere. The music rages, breathes, and then is quick on the attack again. Great job from down under.

Artist: Etnica Title: The Juggeling Alchemists Under The Black Light Label: DAT Records Date: April, 2018 CD1 - The Juggeling Alchemists Under The Black Light 01. The Gili's Voyage 02. Infinitive Dream 03. The Gili's Voyage (Ketu Remix) 04. Vicky's Dream 05. Moon Influence 06. Spheric Koncept 07. Mystical Appearance In Goa 08. A Tribute To Goa 09. Intense Visitation (Visitation Of Energy Mix) CD2 - Mystical Vibes 01. The Gili's Voyage (Early Mix) 02. Mystical Appearance In Goa (Remix) 03. Asian Code 7 04. Still Botta 05. Evolution - Alien Phenomenon 06. Synthesis (Shadow Of The Moog) 07. Fractal Gates 08. Acid Shell 09. Chemical Trance (Original Mix) CD3 - The Early Years 01. Fingers 02. Gollum 03. Big Dust In Chapora Fort 04. Whales 05. Bali Island 06. 38° Parallelo 07. Pacific Love 08. J.H. Sound 09. Tribe - Gilligan's Island 10. Evolis 11. Big Dust In Chapora Fort (Piano Remix) Have we finally...and I mean finally extracted all that we can from the Etnica/Pleiadians sweat soaked goa towel? I'm prepared to take a position I know will be unpopular, but enough already. I love what they have done and I of course love Draeke and all at DAT Records for bringing us so much stuff that was previously lost. This album was like the holy grail of infinitely hard to find goa trance and in typical fashion Draeke and co. go big with 3 discs to satiate your Etnica appetite. I think it was in the album promotion thread where he said that there isn't mush left to release from the 95-98 golden era and that he is more focused on the "proto-goa" as he called it. That's his prerogative and I support him no matter what because he's earned that level of loyalty from me. Well unless he starts exploring The Faith Tones discography. And even then...maybe. First off let me say that the sound on this is incredible. I had the download (like a lot of you) and it was ok, but the mastering on this is superb. Even tracks that I can't stand sound fantastic. Hold on a sec... *puts on flame retardant suit. Hangs head* "F*ck!" *struggles to take off suit, falls down, flings boot across room and knocks over lamp, limps to bathroom and pees* *puts suit back on minus one boot* As I mentioned I think I am on Etnica overload. For me Alien Protein was the end all and be all of goa. Take that, LSD, IFO, and Dancing Galaxy and that is how you show an alien what goa is. So TJAUTBL was not even a close second when it came to awesome goa. But you know it's Draeke and the track record of DAT Records is unimpeachable so like I said I support their efforts. What you get is that release of course (which sounds brilliant) and then a whole bunch of early sounding goa and stuff that they never released. I'm not going to bad mouth it because it took a lot of hard work and time to get all this stuff together for a proper release. Three CDs of music from one of the greatest if not the greatest goa acts in history. One flaw that I will bring to your attention (if you don't already know) is that track 5 on the 2nd disc isn't Etnica at all, but Evolution with their track Alien Phenomenon. Apparently the Dat tape was mislabelled and it was too late to make the change when the CDs went out. Some people might lose their sh*t over this. I prefer to mail mine directly to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. So the music is not my cup of tea, but the release is. Let me explain. Although I don't really care for most of the music on here, I cherish that it is now part of my collection. Variety is the spice of life and sometimes I don't feel like listening to thousand layer melody heavy goa and want something more rudimentary just to change gears. Hearing the early stuff also helps one appreciate where you came from. And that's who I think it's for. People who want to have everything that Etnica ever produced and people who are completionists (like me), and people who enjoy the early sound of the not ready for prime time Etnica classics. This is not even close to my favorite DAT Records release, but I'm glad I have it. Besides...we'll always have Live In Athens. Looking forward to seeing what DAT pulls out of their hat in the future. DAT Records Bandcamp Psyshop

This is the Syb Unity Nettwerk album we always wanted and never got. So many layers immersed in dark themes. It's aggressive and patient all at the same time. This is literally a soundtrack unfolding before your ears. Such power. Return of the Bad Dreamer is punishing. Masterpiece.

Artist: Veasna Title: Spectral Flux Label: Neogoa Records Date: June, 2018 01 - CP46TA 02 - Lobotomites 03 - Telepathy 04 - Spectral Flux 05 - Aviation 06 - Exosphere 07 - Voyager 1 08 - Wormhole 09 - Lost In Space "It is not an argument...one is clearly right and the other is clearly wrong!" Is there anything Tyrion can't do? Good things certainly come in small packages, but alas Veasna is Patrick Dinklage not Peter. This is his second album and I'm not going to be too wordy with my description of what can be found within, but I will say I was impressed. Well, after listening to the first track... my skepticism grew. Eyes were turned sideways. I mean this is the definition of a "meh" track. And the key changes in the latter bits? Et tu, Neogoa? But, no that disappointment was short lived and he came back with solid tracks the rest of the way through. Lobotomites was very GMS sounding combining liquid goa with a heavy dose of psychedelia. Telepathy came with the growl and shriek and Exosphere had an odd sounding progressive vibe, but that 303 growl quickly stole the show. That said my favorite has to be Aviation. The M-run groove was well represented here and had me dancing around the room like a crazy person. It does what you would expect a goa trance album to do in this modern era without over reaching. Solid without being spectacular. Neogoa Bandcamp

Artist: Argus Title: Field of Dreams Label: Altar Records Date: February, 2018 1. Long Gone 2. Glaciers of Oblivion 3. Followed By Light 4. Wind Song 5. Field of Dreams 6. Untouchable Mind 7. Ocean of Causes 8. Under the Mountain 9. Nemrak It's Saturday and I've only had one cup of coffee so what better way to chill than to listen to some, uh...chill. Argus is Branko Stojiljkovic from Serbia and for my money one of the best downtempo artists today. His style is drifting, melodic, and so welcoming. I haven't heard his album Architect of Time (my fault), but thoroughly enjoyed Deep Water and Beyond Sight. Right out of the gate with Long Gone he sets you up in your favorite lazy boy with ethereal vocals and a mellow groove. His style of slowly exploring the sonic space is delicious as the ear hunts for new sounds. His movement into and out of breaks is seamless and provides a stunning experience. The music vacillates between cold and warm, but always maintains a thoughtfulness or a melancholy tone. Tracks like Wind Song and Field of Dreams get into that mid-tempo style, but I don't believe that's where his strength is. It's when he stretches a track out, let's it take it's time and allows all the pieces to come together when he wields his greatest power in my opinion. A very good album that was perfect for contemplation between cups of joe. Altar Records Bandcamp Psyshop